Project M³: Mentoring Mathematical Minds—A Research-Based Curriculum for Talented Elementary Students

Abstract

To date, there has been very little research-based mathematics curriculum for talented elementary students. Yet the gifted education and mathematics literature suggest support for curriculum that is both enriched and accelerated with a focus on developing conceptual understanding and mathematical thinking. Project M3: Mentoring Mathematical Minds is a 5-year Javits research grant project designed to create curriculum units with these essential elements for talented elementary students. These units combine exemplary teaching practices of gifted education with the content and process standards promoted by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. The content at each level is at least one to two grade levels above the regular curriculum and includes number and operations, algebra, geometry and measurement, and data analysis and probability. The focus of the pedagogy encourages students to act as practicing professionals by emphasizing verbal and written communication. Research was conducted on the implementation of 12 units in 11 different schools, 9 in Connecticut and 2 in Kentucky. The sample consisted of approximately 200 mathematically talented students entering third grade, most of whom remained in the project through fifth grade. Students in this study demonstrated a significant increase in understanding across all mathematical concepts in each unit from pre- to posttesting. Thus, Project M3 materials may help fill a curriculum void by providing appropriate accelerated and enriched units to meet the needs of mathematically talented elementary students.

Is there still a need for gifted education? An examination of current research

“…The studies summarized in this section have demonstrated that enrichment pedagogy (Field, 2009;Reis et al, 2007Reis et al, , 2008, differentiation (Gentry & Owen, 1999;Tieso, 2002), acceleration (Colangelo et al, 2004), and curriculum enhancement and advanced lessons (Gavin et al, 2007;VanTassel-Baska et al, 2002) have resulted in higher achievement for gifted and talented learners as well as other students when they are applied to both gifted and other lower achieving students.…”

“…Recent research has also documented positive effects regarding the use of gifted education programs and strategies when serving gifted and high ability students from diverse cultural groups (Gavin et al, 2007;Hébert & Reis, 1999;Little et al, 2007;Reis & Diaz, 1999;Reis et al, 2007Reis et al, , 2008 as well as when serving those with special education needs and those who have high ability but underachieve in school. Work in mathematics conducted by Gavin et al (2007) has been extended to culturally diverse children, as has been reading instruction differentiation and enrichment by Reis et al (2007Reis et al ( , 2008 as well as curriculum enhancement in social studies and language arts by VanTassel-Baska et al Underrepresentation of black and Latino students in gifted programs has been an ongoing problem in the field (Cunningham, Callahan, Plucker, Roberson, & Rapkin, 1998;Donovan & Cross, 2002;Frasier, 1991;Harris & Ford, 1991) and so these curriculum outreach efforts have been promising.…”

“…The use of enrichment, differentiation, acceleration, and curriculum enhancement has resulted in higher achievement for gifted and talented learners as well as other students when it is applied to a broader population of high and average achievers (Colangelo, Assouline, & Gross, 2004;Field, 2009;Gavin et al, 2007;Gentry & Owen, 1999;Gubbins, Housand, Oliver, Schader, & De Wet, 2007;Kulik, 1992;Reis et al, 2007;Rogers, 1991;Tieso, 2002). For example, in one experimental study, teachers used curriculum compacting and enrichment for gifted students, finding that elimination of work already mastered by gifted and talented students followed by the replacement of enriched learning opportunities such as self-selected independent study resulted in higher or similar achievement scores (Reis, Westberg, Kulikowich, & Purcell, 1998).…”

“…Interviewed years later, accelerated students were uniformly positive about their experiences, reporting that they were academically challenged, socially accepted, and did not fall prey to the boredom, as do highly capable students who are forced to follow the curriculum for their age-peers (Colangelo et al, 2004). Gavin et al (2007) used quasi-experimental methods in intact classrooms to investigate the use of more challenging math curriculum for gifted students; findings showed that talented third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade math students had significant gains in achievement in math concepts, computation, and problem solving each year over a 3-year period. Reis et al (2007;Reis, Eckert, McCoach, Jacobs, & Coyne, 2008), using experimental research methods, found that students, including gifted students, benefitted from an enriched and accelerated reading intervention.…”

“…Gubbins et al (2007) Unclogging the mathematics pipeline through access to algebraic understanding N = 5 teachers N = 73 students M Elementary grade students identified for an after-school program in algebra using grade 8, norm-referenced achievement and algebra aptitude tests; the 30 h intervention yielded significant pre/post achievement results in problem solving and data interpretation (17-point gain), and algebra tests. Gavin et al (2007); Gavin et al (2009) Math achievement was investigated using Project M 3 : Mentoring Mathematical Minds curriculum units for mathematically talented students N = 41 teachers N = 800 students E Challenging math curriculum resulted in significant gains in achievement in math concepts, computation, and problem solving each year over a 3-year period for talented math students in grades 3, 4, and 5. Students using the curriculum outperformed a comparison group of students of like ability from the same schools.…”